PC Basketball’s New Excuse, Blame it on the Rain?

I thought maybe Milli Vanilli was in the house. That’s because maybe the Friars and their fans can blame it on the rain, or at least the condensation, with respect to their woes.

Not only their woes, in fact, but also the fact that they’re ripping off fans by not allowing them to see a full game despite paying for it can be blamed on condensation, I guess.

There was disbelief when when the referees, in consultation with Seton Hall Coach Kevin Willard and PC’s Ed Cooley, decided to postpone the game and send the disgruntled fans home.

As they cleared out, the Providence College fans were muttering how the Dunkin Donuts Center and Providence College should be ashamed of themselves for failing to create playable conditions for the game.

Fans Ripped Off

In reality, it was just a nice diversion from some more of the lackluster play from the men’s basketball squad. The team is down 56-47, that’s 9 points, with roughly 13 minutes left to play in the game.

When they pick up play again tomorrow, it will be at Alumni Hall on campus. Only students and faculty (and presumably media) will be allowed into the game. That should tell you how much the school actually cares about its fans. (They don’t.)

And so much for home court advantage of “The Dunk” down the stretch of this crucial game.

Truth be known, the game was heading for another Friar’s loss, despite the fact that Seton Hall superstar Desi Rodriguez went down, injuring his ankle on the dangerous floor, in the middle of the first half. Rodriguez had already scored 9 points by then. He was getting to the basket at will.

Headed For Another Loss?

He wasn’t the only one. Seton Hall point guard Khadeen Carrington is also dominating the game, blowing by Friar defenders and dishing to big targets like Angel Delgado–who has 11 points of his own. The game’s leading scorer, thus far, is Myles Powell, who has scored 16, including one electrifying 4-point play.

The Friars are playing well on offense, with Kyron Cartwright and Alpha Diallo leading the way with 10 points each.

But if the Friars are going to get back in the game, and pull off a come-from-behind victory, they’re going to need to crack down on defense. That’s been missing in this game.

It will also help if Seton Hall is beset with injuries due to what was the team’s slippery floor. It’s unknown if Rodriguez’s ankle will heal overnight for tomorrow’s game, or if Powell is injured. Powell fell on the last play of the game, which caused it to be suspended.

No Fans Allowed

All of this comes at a time when both teams, who many believe are the biggest underachieving teams in the conference, are desperate for a win to stay in the NCAA Tournament picture.

Either way, the (non-student) Friar fans won’t be there to see it or root the team on–even if they paid good money to do so.

Russell J. Moore is the publisher and founder of rirelevant.com. He’s been writing about Rhode Island since 2005. You should definitely follow him on twitter @russmoore713. If you want to send him email, you can send it to russmoore713@gmail.com